Blood samples donated by more than 50,000 UK Biobank participants point to four biomolecules that can reveal developing dementia in apparently healthy people.
Summary
Four proteins found in blood could eventually reveal developing dementia long before someone starts noticing symptoms. Researchers examined thousands of proteins in the blood samples of more than 50,000 UK Biobank participants. Four of these biomolecules were present at higher levels in the blood of apparently healthy people who would later be diagnosed with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
An analysis of thousands of blood proteins has pinpointed four proteins that could be used to diagnose dementia long before someone starts noticing symptoms. Researchers examined levels of almost 1,500 proteins in the blood samples donated by more than 50,000 UK Biobank participants and then looked at who would later be diagnosed with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
At the moment, very few people have access to the specialist tests that would be needed. Finding better, more accessible ways to diagnose dementia is crucial.
Dr Sheona Scales, Director of Research, Alzheimer’s Research UK
“Only two out of three people with dementia in the UK ever receive a formal diagnosis, and the current gold standard diagnostic tests – lumbar punctures and PET scans – are costly and invasive,” explained Sheona Scales, a specialist in Alzheimer’s disease who wasn’t involved in the work.
Early diagnosis and treatment are key to helping people live well with dementia. While there is currently no cure, there are some drugs that seem to slow down the disease’s progression – if taken early on. “At the moment very few people have access to the specialist tests that would be needed,” Scales says. “Finding better, more accessible ways to diagnose dementia is crucial.”
15 years before diagnosis
Four proteins were found at higher levels in the blood of apparently healthy people who would later be diagnosed with dementia. One of the proteins had previously been suggested as a marker for Alzheimer’s disease. Another seems to indicate nerve fiber damage and has been linked to brain disorders.
We can quite reliably predict dementia 15 years before the diagnosis of the disease.
Professor Jianfeng Feng, University of Warwick, UK and Fudan University, China
“We can quite reliably predict dementia 15 years before the diagnosis of the disease” with this analysis, the study’s lead researcher Jianfeng Feng told The Financial Times. The protein analysis reaches an accuracy of around 90% when combined with known risk factors such as someone’s age, sex and family history of dementia.
Toward a £10 test
Feng and his team suggest that analysis of blood proteins is a “possible turning point” for creating a test that can spot dementia long before symptoms become apparent. Such a test “could be seamlessly integrated into the NHS and used as a screening tool by GPs” in the future, Feng tells Sky News.
Several other studies have demonstrated the possibility of a simple blood test for dementia. Right now, the cost of the analysis is prohibitive – although Feng says that his team is working on a cheaper test that would come in at £10. “Blood tests could unlock early diagnosis and are showing great promise, but so far, none have been validated for use in the UK,” Scales said.